Chandrayaan-3 was a complex and challenging mission, but it had the potential to make significant contributions to our understanding of the Moon. ISRO’s commitment to making this mission a success was worth applauding.
The success of Chandrayaan-3 is a significant milestone for India’s space program. It makes India the fourth country to successfully land on the Moon, and the first to do so near the lunar south pole. The mission will help scientists learn more about the Moon’s geology and evolution, and its potential for resources.
Every success has deep roots. This mission also holds the vision and aims combined with aerospace technology & artificial intelligence leading to a lot of discoveries on the mysterious land of Luna.
Chandrayaan Missions
The Chandrayaan mission is a series of lunar exploration missions by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The first mission, Chandrayaan-1, was launched in 2008 and operated for 312 days. The second mission, Chandrayaan-2, was launched in 2019 and attempted to land a lander and rover on the Moon’s south pole. However, the lander lost contact with the ground station during the landing and was not able to touch down. The third mission, Chandrayaan-3, is launched in 2023 and successfully landed a lander near the Moon’s south pole.
Journey of Chandrayaan 3:
- Launch: Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India. The spacecraft was found on an LVM3 M4 vehicle.
- Orbit insertion: Chandrayaan-3 entered lunar orbit on August 5, 2023. The spacecraft’s orbit was circularized at an altitude of 163 km.
- Landing: The Vikram lander touched the lunar surface on August 23, 2023, at 12:32 UTC. The landing site was in the lunar south pole region.
- Rover deployment: The Pragyan rover was deployed from the Vikram lander on August 24, 2023. The rover is currently exploring the lunar surface.
Main Objectives of Chandrayaan-3:
- Demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface.
- Demonstrate rover roving on the moon.
- Conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
Landing of Chandrayaan 3:
Despite these challenges, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was able to successfully land Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023. This was a major achievement for ISRO and a significant milestone for India’s space program.
India succeeded in landing Chandrayaan-3 by overcoming several challenges, including:
- The south pole region of the moon is a very difficult place to land, due to its rugged terrain and uneven surface.
- The Chandrayaan-3 lander was much smaller and lighter than previous moon landers, which made it more difficult to control during the landing process.
- The lander was also carrying a rover, which added to the complexity of the mission.
Success of Chandrayaan-3:
The success of the Chandrayaan-3 landing is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the scientists and engineers at ISRO. It is also a major boost for India’s space program and a sign of India’s growing capabilities in space exploration.
Some key factors that contributed to the success of the Chandrayaan-3 landing are:
- The use of a new guidance and navigation system that was specifically designed for the south pole region of the moon.
- The use of a new braking system that was more efficient and reliable than previous systems.
- The use of a new landing algorithm was designed to take into account the unique challenges of landing in the South Pole region.
- Extensive testing and simulations were conducted before the landing.
In addition to the factors mentioned above, ISRO also made use of the following technologies to help ensure the success of the Chandrayaan-3 landing:
- A high-precision radar altimeter to measure the altitude of the lander during the descent.
- A laser ranging system to measure the distance between the lander and the moon’s surface.
- A computer vision system to identify and avoid obstacles during the landing.
- A variety of sensors to monitor the health of the lander and rover.
Some Scientific Experiments that will be conducted by Chandrayaan-3:
- The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) will map the chemical composition of the lunar surface.
- The Orbiter High-Resolution Camera (OHRC) will take high-resolution images of the lunar surface.
- The Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC) will create a three-dimensional map of the lunar surface.
- The Chandrayaan-3 Sounder (C3S) will study the lunar atmosphere and dust.
- The Chandrayaan-3 Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) will be used to measure the distance between the Moon and Earth.
Chandrayaan-3 and Aerospace Engineering (use of AI):
The success of Chandrayaan-3 will have a positive impact on the prospects of aerospace engineering AI and related courses. AI is already being used in aerospace engineering for tasks such as image processing, navigation, and control. The success of Chandrayaan-3 will demonstrate the potential of AI for space exploration and will likely lead to increased investment in AI research and development in this field.
Some ways in which AI is being used in aerospace engineering today:
- Image processing: AI is used to process images from spacecraft to identify objects, such as craters and rocks. This information can be used to map the surface of a planet or moon and to search for potential landing sites.
- Navigation: AI is used to navigate spacecraft through space. This can be done by using AI to identify stars and planets and to calculate the spacecraft’s position and velocity.
- Control: AI is used to control spacecraft systems, such as the thrusters and the attitude control system. This can be done by using AI to optimize the performance of these systems and to prevent them from malfunctioning.
The success of Chandrayaan-3 will likely lead to new applications for AI in aerospace engineering. For example, AI could be used to develop autonomous spacecraft that can navigate and explore space without human intervention. AI could also be used to develop new ways to manufacture and repair spacecraft.
Future of Aerospace Engineering with Artificial Intelligence:
The prospects for aerospace engineering AI and related courses are bright. The demand for AI skills in the aerospace industry is expected to grow in the coming years. This is due to the increasing complexity of aerospace systems and the need for AI to automate tasks and improve efficiency.
If you are interested in a career in aerospace engineering, it would be recommended to take courses in AI and machine learning. These courses will give you the skills you need to work on cutting-edge projects in this field.
Some specific courses for consideration:
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Natural Language Processing
- Computer Vision
- Robotics
Related blogs Chandrayaan-3
Countdown to Chandrayaan 3: How India’s Esteemed Lunar Mission Has the Globe On Its Toes
Candrayaan-3 Reaches Space: Top Insights from India’s Landmark Lunar Mission
Conclusion
Chandrayaan-3 has opened the sky for India to grow and be one of the recognized economies. The hunger to discover life or its trace in the cold and hidden land of the Luna has been targeted successfully. It has given hope to new findings or learnings of the past, the present, and the future of our moon.
FAQs
What are the aims of the Chandrayaan-3?
Demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, demonstrate rover roving on the moon, and conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
What are the challenges overcome by the Chandrayaan-3 while landing?
- The south pole region of the moon is a very difficult place to land, due to its rugged terrain and uneven surface.
- The Chandrayaan-3 lander was much smaller and lighter than previous moon landers, which made it more difficult to control during the landing process.
- The lander was also carrying a rover, which added to the complexity of the mission.
But still, it was a smooth landing by far.
How many missions have been conducted under the Chandrayaan’s mission?
Three (Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2, and Chandrayaan-3)
Postulate the journey of the Chandrayaan-3.
Launch, Orbit Insertion, landing, and rover development.
Write some ways in which AI is being used in aerospace engineering.
Aerospace is used in the Image processing, Navigation, and control of the spacecraft system.
Avinash Singh is a study abroad consultant with over 10 years of experience helping students achieve their academic goals. He is an expert in the US, Australian, German, and Canadian education systems and has helped hundreds of students secure admission to top universities around the world. In his spare time, Avinash enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with his family. He is also an avid reader and loves to learn new things.
